Police investigating fatal rollover on Bangerter Highway

By
Pat Reavy, KSL
|
Posted - Apr. 16, 2018 at 1:40 p.m.

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SALT LAKE CITY — A man with a history of driving while intoxicated is being investigated for a crash in March that resulted in the death of his passenger, according to court documents.

On March 25, Danyelle Marie Jennings, 44, was killed in a rollover crash at the intersection of California Avenue and Bangerter Highway. Jennings was a passenger in a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Felix Calata, 31, that ran a red light while speeding and hit another vehicle, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.

Both Calata and Jennings were ejected from the vehicle as it rolled.

Just prior to the crash, a Utah Department of Natural Resources officer had spotted the vehicle parked on the side of the road near 5800 West and 2100 South, according to a search warrant released Monday in 3rd District Court. The officer stopped to find out what Calata and Jennings were doing.

"The DNR officer stated he saw drug paraphernalia in the form of a white glass pipe in the vehicle at that time. The DNR officer asked for Calata's ID and asked him about the pipe at that time. Calata stated he did not have ID and started to hand the pipe to the DNR officer. Calata put the Grand Cherokee in drive and drove away at a high rate of speed," the warrant states, while also noting that "Calata has a history of driving under the influence."

The officer lost sight of the Jeep. But moments later, "he saw lots of smoke and dust at the intersection of Bangerter Highway and California Avenue. The DNR officer arrived on scene shortly after the crash occurred and found the male suspect laying in the grass. The female was also laying in the grass without a pulse," according to the warrant.

The driver of the other vehicle had to be extracted from his car and was taken to a local hospital in serious condition.